easterneurope

These are poems rooted in the earth and body, beginning in a physical experience that expands into philosophical questioning. They are not polite, they do not hide their imperfections. They reveal an immediacy of expression.

Serbia's rich historical and religious history is evident in these poems and there is an untiring effort to reach beyond the sensations of the world around her towards mystical revelation, to communicate the incommunicable.

These poems are written from across the poet's life, contemplating his native land of Russia from both a literal and a figurative distance, while at the same time casting a sometimes jaundiced eye on the alien culture of America in which he spent the final years of his life. Loseff's poetry excels in complex imagery, rich literary allusion, and is abundant in formal experiment. Whether absorbed by the world of literature (particularly his fellow poets) or relating real-life experiences, Loseff conjures up a restless and frequently disturbing universe.

An anthology showcasing the generation of Latvian poets who started writing and publishing after the country gained independence following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. All six have been shortlisted for or received the top Latvian literary prizes yet have retained their ability to surprise and refusal to pander to any convention.

Ljubljana, in all its beauty, history, modernities and anachronisms, is Meta Kusar's city, her constant home which has become her muse. This sequence of 77 untitled poems opens a door onto different aspects of Ljubljana, revealing the contrasts and contradictions one might expect to find in a city, yet full of wisdom and beauty too.

Rooted in an ancient folk song tradition, Kristiina Ehin's poetry is both universal and deeply personal; her language is direct and simple, yet she expresses herself so vividly that her joys and sorrows become the reader's own. These poems, beautifully translated by Ilmar Lehtpere and selected from her most recent collection, were written over 2 years, beginning shortly before the birth of her son.

Doris Kareva is Estonia's leading female poet, and her work has been translated into over 20 languages. Her eleventh collection, Shape of Time, is more restrained in style than her earlier works, but its themes are the same - love and its great enemies, death and time - and the poems retain the romantic bravado that makes her work so compelling.